Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin wasn’t nearly as surprised as the bettors at
Aqueduct last November when Consortiumswept to victory by nearly five
lengths at 13-1 in his debut.

“We expected him to run well. We felt like he was a really nice horse
and he was training really well. Alan Garcia rode him great the first
time, sat back fifth in the clear and came running to win by 5,”
McLaughlin said. “He’s so well bred. Bernardini is such a great sire.
It’s nice to have quite a few Bernardinis in the barn.”

Unfortunately, trainer Todd Pletcher also has a very talented son of
Bernardini in his barn, and Algorithms proved a length better in
Consortium’s second lifetime start at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 16. Sent
to post as the 4-5 favorite, Consortium pressed the pacesetter while
stalked to the outside by Algorithms, who went on to edge away to
victory. Consortium was nearly five lengths clear of the third-place
finisher in the 6 ½ -furlong entry-level allowance.

Consortium and Algorithms will meet again in Sunday’s $400,000 Holy
Bull (G3), which drew a field of six, including the 2011 Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile (G1) victor and Eclipse Award winner Hansen. Consortium, bred
in Kentucky by Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley and campaigned under the colors
of Godolphin Racing, will race with Lasix for the first time in the Holy
Bull.

“He’s not a bad bleeder, but he did show signs of bleeding mixing in
with the mucus,” said McLaughlin, whose colt was scoped following the
recent allowance and subsequent workout.

McLaughlin is hoping that the medication to prevent pulmonary bleeding
will help his colt to rebound from his recent loss to Algorithms.

“I think we might have been second best on the day, but being that he
had a little blood and mucus, I think the Lasix will help. But
Algorithms is a nice horse. We won’t take anything away from him, but we
should improve,” McLaughlin said. “It might be that we improve and he
improves, that we improve because of Lasix and he improves from only
running once in so many months. So he might step forward too. And
Hansen, the 2-year-old champion, obviously, is in there, so it’s going
to be a good race.”

Consortium will break from the No. 2 post position, while Algorithms
drew the outside post, two stalls out from Hansen in the starting gate.

“I’d rather have drawn outside. Algorithms got the perfect spot in the 6
hole. We’re in the 2 hole, but we’ll work it out,” McLaughlin said.
“He’s really doing well.”

The Holy Bull is the first of three graded stakes on Gulfstream Park’s
main track for Kentucky Derby hopefuls, followed by the $400,000
Fountain of Youth (G2) on Feb. 26 and the $1 million Florida Derby on
March 31. Consortium’s performance in the one-turn, one-mile stakes will
tell his trainer in what direction he will take his colt.